Two-time O'Brien Award winner L A Delight made her five-year-old debut for new connections on Friday after a private sale last month.
Bred, trained and previously owned by Bob McIntosh, L A Delight will now by campaigned by Diamond Creek Racing. The daughter of Bettors Delight - West Of L A is now under the care of trainer Nancy Johansson. In her first outing for the new connections, L A Delight was victorious in a qualifying effort at the Meadowlands. Marcus Johansson was at the controls as L A Delight made every call a winning one en route to the 1:54.2 qualifying win.
"L A Delight qualified very well after after a brief layoff," Johansson told Trot Insider. "She came in January 31, she was in great shape and she's acclimated nicely.
"Marcus was happy with how she felt and she was very strong finishing. She's obviously a top mare and always has been. I'm looking forward to racing her shortly."
An O'Brien Award winner at both two and three, L A Delight has a bankroll of $1.6 million from her three years of racing. In 47 lifetime starts, she sports a summary of 23-7-6 along with a 1:49.1f lifetime mark taken at The Meadows. L A Delight dominated her provincial rivals in two years of Ontario Sires Stakes competition, boasting an unblemished record in 11 OSS races.
If all goes according to plan, Johansson did confirm that the Blue Chip Matchmaker series at Yonkers Raceway is on the horizon. In limited action on half-mile tracks, L A Delight has two wins in four starts -- one a track record effort over Grand River Raceway, the other a thrilling victory in the 2016 Jugette final.